Follow the Steps!
Students are finding the combination locks in school hard to use. The students are trying to find a solution that does not cost too much and that they can do right away. Which solution should they choose?
A. Buy bigger and better locks online.
B. Give students a list of other locks to buy.
C. Have students practice using the locks in class.
D. Find old locks from other schools that are easier to use.
C. Have students practice using the locks in class.
See Slide 1 in Unit 1: Engineering and Technology, 4th Grade
Deena compares four different printers for her computer. She wants it to print in color and print more than six pages per minute. She wants to spend less than $0.13 per copy. Her research is shown in the table. Which printer should she choose?
A. Brand A
B. Brand B
C. Brand C
D. Brand D
A. Brand A
Tim has a toy boat made of thick wood. His boat sinks in the water. He wants to replace the bottom of the boat. Three ideas for Tim’s new boat are listed. Which idea(s) will allow the boat to float?
A. glue pieces of rock together
B. roll paper into balls and glue to a metal box
C. cut a piece of package foam into a boat shape
C. cut a piece of package foam into a boat shape
Engineers must build a model of a design to find out how well it actually works. What is another word for this model?
A. prototype
B. conclusion
C. product
D. design
A. prototype
Technology or NOT? for $100
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Google Slide 1
Joel designed a tool for picking up metal screws that fall while he works on his car. The tool picks up the screws but drops them before Joel can pull them out. Which design change should he try next?
A. Make the tool heavier.
B. Make the handle longer.
C. Use a different type of screw on
his car.
D. Attach a strong magnet to the end of the tool.
D. Attach a strong magnet to the end of the tool.
See Slide 2 in Unit 1: Engineering and Technology, 4th Grade
Larry is putting together a small, wooden flower box. He needs something to hold the wood together. It must cost less than $10 and should not rust. Which option is best for him to use?
A. Iron Nail
B. Wooden Dowel
C. Deck Screw
D. Iron Spike
C. Deck Screw
Perry designed a stand for a fish tank in the classroom. His prototype may need improvements. Which actions will help Perry improve his design?
A. share the prototype with classmates
B. ask classmates for ideas on prototype
C. paint the prototype to make it look more colorful
A. share the prototype with classmates
B. ask classmates for ideas on prototype
The Desired features of a possible solution.
Criteria or Criterion
Technology or NOT? for $200
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Google Slide 2
Paul and Kat work together to test different kinds of popcorn salt to see which one people like the most. Which step should they take to make sure their tests are fair?
A. Have one person try each batch.
B. Cook each test batch in a different microwave.
C. Put the same amount of salt on each test batch.
D. Use different kinds of popcorn for each test batch.
C. Put the same amount of salt on each test batch.
See Slide 3 in Unit 1: Engineering and Technology, 4th Grade
Mr. Zamora needs to cool two classrooms in the spring and fall. He writes down information about two types of fans. Cooling the rooms is the most important criterion, but Mr. Zamora can only spend up to $40. He wrote three possible solutions.
Which Soloution is the Best choice?
Solution 1: Buy two of Fan B, one for each classroom. This would be the cheapest option and would be less noisy, but neither room would be cool enough.
Solution 2: Buy six of Fan B, three in each classroom. This would cost less than 40 dollars, and each room will get the required number of fans. Fans in both rooms would be noisy.
Solution 3: Buy one of Fan A for one classroom, and buy two of Fan B for the other classroom. This would be exactly 40 dollars. One classroom would not be as cool, but two fans would not be as noisy as three fans.
Solution 2: Buy six of Fan B, three in each classroom. This would cost less than 40 dollars, and each room will get the required number of fans. Fans in both rooms would be noisy.
Tim has a toy boat made of thick wood. His boat sinks in the water. He wants to replace the bottom of the boat. Three ideas for Tim’s new boat are listed. Which idea(s) will cause the boat to sink?
A. glue pieces of rock together
B. roll paper into balls and glue to a metal box
C. cut a piece of package foam into a boat shape
A. glue pieces of rock together
B. roll paper into balls and glue to a metal box
Anything "Man Made" to meet a WANT or NEED is considered to be ____________.
Technology
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Google Slide 3
Jane and Todd are making a weathervane that tells the direction of the wind. They tested three prototype designs in the same location. They recorded the direction each one was pointing in. They did this every hour for four hours. Jane and Todd compared their data to the data of a local weather station. Which question were they trying to answer?
A. Which prototype is the easiest to use in the wind?
B. Which prototype gives the most accurate direction?
C. Which prototype moves the fastest in one direction?
D. Which prototype is more resistant to extreme weather?
B. Which prototype gives the most accurate direction?
See Slide 3 in Unit 1: Engineering and Technology, 4th Grade
Mr. Zamora needs to cool two classrooms in the spring and fall. He writes down information about two types of fans. Cooling the rooms is the most important criterion, but Mr. Zamora can only spend up to $40. He wrote three possible solutions.
Which Soloution is the 2nd (Next) Best choice?
Solution 1: Buy two of Fan B, one for each classroom. This would be the cheapest option and would be less noisy, but neither room would be cool enough.
Solution 2: Buy six of Fan B, three in each classroom. This would cost less than 40 dollars, and each room will get the required number of fans. Fans in both rooms would be noisy.
Solution 3: Buy one of Fan A for one classroom, and buy two of Fan B for the other classroom. This would be exactly 40 dollars. One classroom would not be as cool, but two fans would not be as noisy as three fans.
Solution 3: Buy one of Fan A for one classroom, and buy two of Fan B for the other classroom. This would be exactly 40 dollars. One classroom would not be as cool, but two fans would not be as noisy as three fans.
Jim’s old bird feeder is not attracting birds. Jim wants to build a new bird feeder. The two designs Jim selected need to be tested. Which test should Jim use?
A. Place each feeder in a different backyard.
B. Place one feeder on the ground and hang the other in a tree.
C. Hang both feeders at the same height on one tree in his backyard.
D. Hang one feeder in one tree and the other in another tree in his backyard.
C. Hang both feeders at the same height on one tree in his backyard.
The Absolute Limitations of an acceptable solution.
Constraints
Technology or NOT? for $400
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Google Slide 4
Le designed a new kind of skateboard that anyone can use. He tested the skateboard with three different weights, 65, 80, and 105 pounds. With 105 pounds on it, the center sagged to the ground. What should Le’s next two steps be?
Choose the letters of the two correct answers.
A. test again
B. add bigger wheels
C. test it with smaller friends
D. sell his new skateboard design
E. build the board with stronger material
A. test again
E. build the board with stronger material
Jane has a treehouse. She wants to build a tool to pull her toys up to the treehouse from the ground.
First, which object she could use to put the toys in?
AND...
Second, which object she could use to pull the toys up to the treehouse?
First, The Basket
Second, The Rope
Farmers want to improve their farms with better technology. Which methods will help them meet this need?
Choose three correct answers.
A. Use GPS for field mapping.
B. Rent old tractors to plow fields.
C. Invest in modern milking machines.
D. Hire more workers to harvest the crops.
E. Use computers to control farm equipment.
A. Use GPS for field mapping.
C. Invest in modern milking machines.
E. Use computers to control farm equipment.
A series of steps used by engineers to solve problems and create new technology...
The Design Process
Technology or NOT? for $500
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Google Slide 5